Leonid Slutsky to Vestnik Kavkaza: Karabakh problem should be solved in coming years

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be resolved in the coming years, this problem cannot be left unsolved to future generations, the head of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Communication with Compatriots, Leonid Slutsky, said, answering a question from Vestnik Kavkaza.

The MP stressed that the Russian parliamentarians are ready to participate in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as it is needed to solve the problem. "In general, the mediation in this process is the business of the Foreign Ministry and the President, but we are ready to contribute, if colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Russia's government as a whole tell us in which segment we may realize our potential," he said.

Leonid Slutsky pointed out that the Committee is equally working with both Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis and the National Assembly of Armenia. "I must say that today the members of both parliaments want a speedy and peaceful resolution of this conflict. To achieve it, we need to determine the final scheme and formulate a certain peace treaty project. We must continue to be guided by the Madrid principles outlined in January 2009, as well as closely cooperate," the politician called on.

According to him, after the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Committee intends to start the mediation work at the parliamentary level. "As soon as everything linked to the elections will pass, we are planning a number of measures, in particular, the profile meeting of out Committee and the committees of the Milli Majlis and the National Assembly. Let me remind you that they have already been held earlier: two with Armenia, one with Azerbaijan and each time the Committee was welcomed by the presidents. We visited both countries at full strength," Leonid Slutsky said.

"Whenever we meet with the one and the other side, the conversation eventually turns to Karabakh. It is impossible not to know, not to understand and not to have own position. Once again, I stress that we have no right to leave this problem to future generations. We have to solve it now, in the coming years," the head of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs and Communication with Compatriots concluded.

Recall, on the night of April 2 all frontier positions of Azerbaijan were exposed to heavy fire from large-caliber weapons, mortars, grenade launchers and guns. In addition, Azerbaijani settlements near the front line, densely populated by civilians, were shelled.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20% of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US, are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.